The Cowboys enjoyed a complete victory in their second matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles this past Sunday. The offense, defense and special teams all combined to issue a decisive win that felt over by halftime. Their 33-13 win not moved Dallas up the charts in playoff seeding, but it showed they are one of the most complete and well-rounded rosters in the entire NFL.
While the Cowboys high-stepped out of Week 14 with a win, they didn’t make it out unscathed. Lost in the celebration of victory, was the loss of a key member of their defense. On their first defensive series of the third quarter, interior lineman Johnathan Hankins fell to what we later learned to be a high ankle sprain.
The #Cowboys don't believe the high ankle sprain suffered by Johnathan Hankins is severe — treating it as minor right now.
Good news for the run-stopper who isn't far removed from a multi-sack game.
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) December 11, 2023
Hankins will be evaluated in coming days, but he’s generally expected to be out of commission at least 1-2 weeks. Even minor high ankle sprains take time and the science behind an individual’s recovery is anything but exact. Whether he’s out one week or four weeks, the Cowboys have a hole to fill. And based on the size of Hankins, that hole is enormous.
Hankins is a unique piece in Dan Quinn’s defensive puzzle. The 6-foot-2, 330-pound tackle is stouter than a pint of Guinness. As the primary 1-tech, he’s the immovable object in the middle, two-gapping and occupying so his leaner and more explosive teammates can fill the stat sheet. His loss is significant because a clear back-up option behind him doesn’t exist.
“The options would come from within the team,” Quinn said of Hankins’ spot. “For us, it’s probably too early to know where that sits, for this weekend’s game anyway.”
The Cowboys don’t want to look outside the organization to fill the hole at 1-tech. Quinn himself has pointed to his own roster as the solution until Hankins can return.
DTs Osa Odighizuwa, Chauncey Golston and Willington Previlon all play interior defensive line but they’re also sub-300-pounds and are ill-suited to play 1-tech. Neville Gallimore is a DT over 300-pounds, but he’s not as stout against the run as his size indicates and is actually used on more passing downs than he is running downs.
Mazi Smith, Dallas’ top pick in the 2023 draft, is the most obvious answer.
At 6-foot-3, 337-pounds, Smith fits the mold that was once affectionately called “a trashcan full of dirt.” But Smith is a project player. He has decent snaps this season but also has some truly terrible snaps. The DT position is a position even top-10 draft picks have a tough time acclimating to in the NFL. He’s definitely in the mix but to expect him to pick up where Hankins left off is unfair and probably dangerous.
Looking at the roster, newly-signed Carl Davis might be the best man for the job.
Davis, a journeyman DT signed to the practice squad in November, is 6-foot-5, 320-pounds. He’s a career 1-tech with skins on the wall. He’s not flashy in any regard, but last seen, he’s effective. The Cowboys should be able to build a rotation of Davis and Smith and be able to tread water in their defensive interior.
For Smith, it’s a great opportunity for growth. If Davis gets elevated, it’s a great opportunity to show he belongs on the active roster this winter. For everyone else, it’s a test in mettle since Hankins isn’t there to do the dirty work and free them to make plays.
Hankins’ absence is a blow to the defense but at the same time an opportunity for others.
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